IAmTheDave - Slashdot User

Submission + - Warner CEO Admits His Kids Stole Music

Submitted by

IAmTheDave

on Tuesday December 05, 2006 @01:39PM

IAmTheDave writes: "Warner Music CEO Edgar Bronfman admitted that he was fairly certain that one or more of his children had downloaded music illegally, but despite this direct admission of guilt, and without surprise, no lawsuits are pending. Bronfman insists that, with a fairly certain stern talking-to, his children have suffered the full consequences of their actions. "I explained to them what I believe is right, that the principle is that stealing music is stealing music. Frankly, right is right and wrong is wrong, particularly when a parent is talking to a child. A bright line around moral responsibility is very important. I can assure you they no longer do that." I wonder if all of the people currently being sued/extorted can now just admit that they "no longer do that.""

Submission + - MPAA Kills California Anti-Pretexting Bill

Submitted by

IAmTheDave

on Friday December 01, 2006 @10:26AM

IAmTheDave writes: "A California anti-pretexting bill that got unanimous support in the state senate with a vote of 30-0 was struck down after heavy last-minute lobbying by the MPAA. The bill aimed to make deceptive "pretexting" (lying) to gain personal information on another person illegal. The MPAA told legislators "We need to pose as someone other than who we are to stop illegal downloading," and thus killed the bill when it came up for a final vote. California passed a much narrower bill that "bans the use of deceit to obtain telephone calling records, and nothing else." In a final "think of the children" bid, the Califonia Association of Licensed Investigators also opposed the bill, saying it needed to be able to use pretexting to help find missing children, among other things."

Submission + - Privacy under attack, but does anybody care?

Submitted by

IAmTheDave

on Monday October 16, 2006 @09:48AM

IAmTheDave writes: "This is the subject of an MSNBC special report that tops MSNBC's homepage this morning. Privacy rights have been debated to death here on Slashdot, but this article attempts to understand people's ambivalence towards the phenomenon. The article discusses how over 60 percent of Americans — while somewhat unable to quantify what exactly privacy is and what's being lost — feel a pessimism about privacy rights and their erosion. However, a meager 6-7% polled have actually taken any steps to help preserve their privacy. Many don't make the immediate connection between EZ-Pass and supermarket shopper cards to this loss of privacy, and even less are protective of their Social Security numbers — giving them up for anything at all, including a 50-cent-off coupon. The article also tries to quantify what privacy is, exactly, and connect the lack of a solid definition to why Americans seem so willing to part with that which they may not even know they are loosing rapidly. The article closes — for those that won't read it — with a call to action, inviting readers to finally start an open discussion about privacy rights. "...everyone has secrets they don't want everyone else to know, and it's never too late to begin a discussion about how Americans' right to privacy can be protected.""

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